CMP M1911A1 – The Luck of the Draw

CMP M1911A1 – The Luck of the Draw

Those who “won” the CMP M1911A1 lottery with a number low enough got an opportunity to acquire a piece of iconic U.S. Military history.  Considered “shooters” by the purist M1911A1 collectors, these guns came in Service Grade $1,050, Field Grade $950, and Rack Grade $850.   Per the CMP, the bulk of these pistols have been through at least one re-build in its life, 99% are mix-masters of parts, and have been refinished.  Showing the strong interest in the venerable M1911A1, requests exceeded the initial supply by over 2:1.  Here is what one lucky customer received.

After eight months of crickets, the phone call came.  Two days after paying by credit card, the Service Grade M1911A1 showed up at the local FFL01.  It was good condition WWII era M1911A1 with a Colt frame and Union Switch & Signal slide.

The grips are WWII era original and in pretty good shape, and the bore is good.  Reference documents show that this Colt frame falls in the range of 1609529-1743846, one of the 134,318 guns manufactured by Colt in 1944.

The Union Switch & Signal slide is one of 55,000 made, and dates to 1943.  The slide appears to be original finish.  The heat treatment on the forward 20-25% of the slide is still evident.  This treatment would not be visible if the slide had been refinished.

These close ups give you a good idea of the finish and wear of the M1911A1.  Overall, a good condition gun.

The only negative, and a minor one at that, is that it came with a 70s magazine.  That said, it’s a welcome addition to the Buyer’s collection.  With M1911A1 prices continuing to climb, this CMP purchase seems like a pretty good value.